The Hard Way by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren.

Not the best of times. It was dark and cruel. He could feel the evil wrapped in the warm hands of the evening. Away from the filth of the city, drowned in the corner of the abyss he called home, Fred was disgruntled. Some nights are heaven. As a lover that keeps you warm, you want the enjoyment forever. On the other hand, some nights are hell crushing a prey on her corridors. Sinking blows until the prey succumbs to her brutality. It is a miracle to be in hell and still survive her tongue.

It was a long night. Only if Fred could sleep or put himself out of his misery, will he shine again. There is no hope for the poor soul who cannot conquer his demons. Then he rolled out of bed and his legs carried him to his rickety chair and table. He sank into the chair, leaned forward on the table and lowered his head. The uncertainty was biting hard and it had swept across the country. Those who once boast of three square meals are now battling to survive. The numbers were not favorable and they knew it was only a matter of time before their world would come crashing down to the earth. Time was ticking away under the shadow of the dead night. It was a terrible time to live. Any man that wishes to survive public life must hide his imperfection.

Fred grabbed his handset on the table. He quickly dialed a number but the call was aborted. After several attempts, he finally went through. 

“Hello,” a voice bellowed from the other side and almost faded immediately. 

Fred jumped to his feet and walked to the window where he felt the reception was strong. “Mark,” he said. “Sorry for the disturbance.”

“What do you want?” asked Mark.

Fred swallowed hard. “I can’t wait for the 2019 elections. The thought of it has almost killed me!”

Mark hissed. “Was that why you woke me up in the middle of the night? Drop this call. I need to catch some sleep!”

“WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! We have a chance to take the country back!”

“What chance, you worm? Are you blind? Can’t you see the people are hypnotized? You better wait until he completes his two terms. And then his seat will be up for grabs.”

“NO,” Fred shook his head. “The President is a liar.”

“But some believe it’s the distance that ruined him,” Mark disclosed. “He was too far away from home and then he was lost in a foreign land. It was a blunder, I agree. But it will be difficult to defeat him in the polls.”

Fred scratched his head and then he said, “We can pull a few strings to sink him. Do we need to have a replacement before we can start the process? If the President cannot take care of himself, he cannot take care of anybody!”

Mark chuckled. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Join me and let us get this madness out of sight. They are playing politics without morals!”

“Fred,” Mark sniffed. “If you need to retain your seat in the Senate, you are talking to the wrong man. I have moved on. The way forward for Nigeria is not the 2019 general elections. A decentralized government is an answer. Let us return to regional government. If you are interested in a better country, see me tomorrow. Have a pleasant night rest.”

The call dropped. 

Fred glanced at his phone for a while. He breathed deeply and shook his head. He returned to the table and sank into his favorite chair, gazing at the ceiling.